


Guardian

by Forodwaith (Northland)



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Childhood, Gen, Siblings, Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-27 17:11:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17770889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northland/pseuds/Forodwaith
Summary: Éowyn is determined to help protect her family's horses.





	Guardian

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zdenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zdenka/gifts).



> Dear Zdenka, this treat is somewhat awry from your prompts; you requested Éowyn and Éomer with their parents, and this focuses mainly on Éowyn and her mother, with mentions of the other two and some tales of the Riddermark in the background. But I hope you still enjoy it as a small extra treat in your box of chocolates!

“Éowyn!” 

At the sound of her mother's voice, she burrowed deeper into the straw in a vain attempt to hide. Éomer must have told on her, the cur. She thought he'd been fast asleep when she got up and stole out of their shared room.

Théodwyn’s tall, straight figure appeared as a dim shadow blocking the opening of the stall. “Éowyn. You know better than to disturb a mare in foal. What are you doing here?” Her mother’s voice wasn’t loud or sharp, since she didn’t want to upset Crow either, but it was firm with no trace of indulgence. 

Éowyn felt hot tears rise in her eyes at the unfairness of it all. “I want to help guard Crow!” she whispered. 

Papa was out with his éored riding the bounds of the Eastfold tonight, protecting their herds from the foul thieves of Mordor. He said they sought black mounts above all, and that made Éowyn angry, for since she was a baby her favourite horse had been her mother’s black mare Crow. And Crow, who could be irritable with handlers other than Théodwyn, always let Éowyn enter her stall, feed her bran mash, and even pick up her feet to check her hooves. 

“Oh, my valiant one.” Mother knelt, her skirts sweeping through the dusty straw, and put her arms around Éowyn. “I know you do.” 

The mare snuffled a low noise from the other corner of the stall, where she was a darker shadow on the ground, sprawled around her vast belly; she was lying down to sleep more often, another sign that her time was near. Éowyn had hoped that this was the year she’d be given one of the new foals—maybe even Crow’s. At six summers, she was more than old enough for a proper horse of her own, rather than a pony. If she protected Crow, surely her parents would see the justice of her claim.

“You can’t stay up all night, my girl. But we’ll watch over Crow together for a little while.” Mother settled on the floor and pulled her into her lap, and Éowyn let her even though she was really too old for that. “And I shall tell both of you a story while we wait.” 

Crow whickered again at the sound of Théodwyn's voice. “Tell us the story of Hrafna Helmsdottir, and how she helped her father hold the Deep,” Éowyn asked, rubbing her cheek on Mother’s soft grey shawl. Mother folded it around her like the wing of a gull, and her quiet laugh lilted through the darkness. 

“One would think that the only story I know,” she said. “But very well. For two such brave warriors, I will.

“Now, mind, in Hrafna’s sixteenth year it was a time much like this in the Mark. Enemies had gathered and were threatening our borders. But Hrafna was not afraid, for she was strong and valiant, a daughter of kings, and she had learned to use a sword from Hulda, her mother…”

 

In the morning Éowyn woke in her own bed, with only a vague memory of being picked up and carried against Papa's broad chest. Something was poking the back of her head; she sat up to discover that her hair was full of straw. Éomer was already awake, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Tattle-tale!"

He scowled back. "You got away with it. You get away with _everything_. Father wasn't even angry, he only laughed when Mother told him where you were."

She picked at the bits of straw caught in her fuzzy braid and ignored her big brother. 

"Crow had her foal, though. While you were asleep," he added smugly. "And I've already seen him."

Éowyn leapt out of bed, her bare feet flinching on the cold floor, and ran to look.


End file.
